Roadmap committee recommends e-ID for nationals

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The Roadmap to Recovery team has recommended fast-tracking a unique digital identifier to every citizen and legal resident, according to a draft report.

Technology is taking a key role in Government’s approach, the committee’s report stated and emphasised an “all hands on deck” approach is needed as the country moved beyond the covid19 pandemic.

“Covid19 has forced the Government, private sector and CSOs to rethink how technology can be leveraged to effectively navigate the crisis and accelerate the recovery process,” the draft said.

“All hands on deck” is expected to “proactively transform the capability and capacity of the Government to the digital economy.” This digital transformation will require an execution team working in partnership with the private sector and civil society in several key areas – restructured business processes, digital capabilities/training, technology, flexible IT architecture, and innovation/experimentation, the report said.

“The covid19 crisis is the long-needed impetus for TT to begin unlocking the potential of digital technology to quickly change its way of doing business,” the report said.

This digital vision should be led by locals and enabled by leaders, with a commitment to transform society. The team recommended creating an accelerated “digital first government,” with the first feature being the creation of a unique “e-identity” for every citizen and legal resident in the country. This will be mandatory to access government services and will be managed by government via the state or approved data centre.

This ID will supersede all existing identifiers and will align with the electronic processing of all Government services and digital commerce activities. The committee has also defined a series of cogent, practical and compelling actions in the areas of ease of doing business, building institutional capacity, critical supporting infrastructure and national value system.

The Prime Minister acknowledged during a press conference on Saturday that he did receive a draft report from the committee. Sources told Sunday Newsday that the document, widely circulated on social media, was incomplete and unofficial.

The Roadmap to Recovery Committee, chaired by Dr Rowley, has been mandated to focus on three immediate priorities: (i) addressing and mitigating the hardship inflicted by covid19; (ii) restarting the economy; and (iii) laying the foundation for sustained economic recovery. The team had been assembled in April and was due to give the Prime Minister its draft report on June 3.

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